The present invention generally relates to treatment of wounds, and more specifically to an improved apparatus and methods for treating all or a portion of a wound by applying reduced pressure to the portion of the wound for which treatment is desired. In this context, the term “wound” is to be interpreted broadly, to include any body part of a patient that may be treated using reduced pressure.
The treatment of open or chronic wounds that are too large to spontaneously close or otherwise fail to heal by means of applying reduced pressure to the site of the wound is well known in the art. One such system is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/652,100), which was filed by the present inventor with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Aug. 28, 2003. The disclosure of this U.S. patent application is incorporated herein by reference. Another system is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/064,813, entitled “Improved Flexible Reduced Pressure Treatment Appliance,” which was filed by the present inventor on Feb. 24, 2005. The disclosure of this U.S. patent application is also incorporated herein by reference.
Reduced pressure wound treatment systems currently known in the art commonly involve placing a cover that is impermeable to liquids over the wound, using various means to seal the cover to the tissue of the patient surrounding the wound, and connecting a source of reduced pressure (such as a vacuum pump) to the cover in a manner so that an area of reduced pressure is created under the cover in the area of the wound. However, rigid and semi-rigid covers currently known and used in the relevant art for this purpose have a number of disadvantages. For example, such covers typically do not include a means to cleanse and provide other treatment to the wound without removing the cover from the tissue surrounding the wound. Thus, cleansing and other treatment of the wound may necessitate more frequent cover changes. This additional step of removing the cover, cleansing or otherwise treating the wound, and then replacing the cover, also generally increases the time medical staff must expend in treating the wound. This additional time generally means additional expense incurred in cleansing or other treatment of the wound. Further, the additional required changes of the cover for this purpose may also cause pain or discomfort or both for the patient. Further, the additional changes of the cover for this purpose may present an increased risk of infection or contamination of the wound.
Therefore, there is a need for a rigid or semi-rigid reduced pressure wound treatment system that has an enclosing means to enclose a wound and yet provide for cleansing and other treatment of the wound without the need to replace the enclosing means. Such enclosing means would simplify cleansing and other treatment of the wound. It would also generally save the valuable time of medical staff. As a result, it would also generally reduce the expense involved in wound treatment. It would also tend to reduce patient pain and discomfort and reduce the risk of wound infection and contamination. There is also a need for an enclosing means that is relatively inexpensive, while meeting the needs described above.
Finally, there is a need for a semi-rigid or rigid enclosing means that has within it a means to provide reduced pressure to the area of the wound under the enclosing means so that fluid aspirated from the wound is drawn through channels in the enclosing means. This type of enclosing means would potentially be easier to construct. Thus, it may also be less expensive to manufacture. In addition, this enclosing means may be made from materials that would allow it to be reusable. It would also provide for therapy that may occur as a patient sleeps, as described in more detail below.